This novel about friendship, marriage and betrayal, focuses on the difficult choices that contemporary women have to make, whether or not they happen to have been raised in the Asian community.
Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee
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Amazon Review
Tania, Sunita and Chila have been close and somewhat unlikely friends since their schooldays. Sunita, a former law student and activist, married her university sweetheart Akash, and is settled, unsatisfied, into a life of overweight, underappreciated motherhood. Tania, top girl fighter at school, is a raven-maned beauty, who's rejected marriage and anything traditionally Asian, for a high-flying TV career and a compliant Indophile boyfriend called Martin. And then there's Chila. Innocent, kind, funny qualificationless Chila, with her glass animal collection, considered backward by her family, has just, to everyone's amazement, snared Deepak--the richest, most eligible bachelor within a 50-mile radius.
Writer, comedienne and actress Meera Syal, author of the prize-winning Anita and Me navigates her characters through the emotional rollercoaster of the coming-of-middle-youth--the time when the real growing up is done--with her trademark wit and sensitivity. From the bitching at the celebration--"Now the sister is howling. I'd howl if I had a moustache like hers ..." to the heavy embroidery and tears of a traditional Indian wedding, via the "artistic" wedding photos and " 'about seventeen hours of video," Chila sighed, "all with Hindi love songs on them and those fancy Top of the Pops effects.' ", through infidelity, TV documentaries and betrayal, Syal regales the reader with the strengths and limits of female friendship.
By the way, if you're pregnant and have set your heart on natural childbirth, avoid pages 72-3. Or else book that elective casaerian and cocktail of drugs. Now. --Lisa Gee
Review
'A magical mosaic of friendship, betrayal and cross-cultural incongruities. By turns spicy, hilarious and sad, it unfolds the ties that bind young women to their East End Punjabi roots even as they head west for trendy careers, cafe bars and sexual freedom.', She .'Funny and sharp.', Independent .'The story surges along on a rip-tide of wisecracks and wisdom... Excellent.', Sunday Telegraph .'An engrossing and provocative book, both funny and sad.', Big Issue .'Extremely funny, wonderfully insightful . . . a big, ambitious book with serious points to be made about the choices women face today . . . Syal mixes her message with hilarious set pieces.', Sunday Express .'A superbly crafted, page-turning comedy which isn't afraid to tackle the big subjects . . . heartfelt, heartwarming and very, very good.', Mirror
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed this novel. I liked the fact that it's characters were my age (30 something) and seemed to face similar problems to my contemporaries (even though I may not be Asian). I found it hard to always believe that these women could necessarily be friends but the character observation and humour carried the novel through. This book has its very serious tragic side too but this adds to its power and success as a superb read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I took this book on holiday and could not put it down!- A fabulous read that made me laugh, cry, swoon and swear within the delicately written pages. Meera has out done herself with this outstanding insight into the lives of three very different friends and the bond of time that holds them together. Well worth the read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was so good I couldn't put it down. Meera syal is fantastic a brilliant comic and author. The book was hilariously funny and depicts reality really well but also makes women feel better about their lives. the authors insight into womens thoughts and feelings is amazing and brilliantly done. I have recommended this book as a must read to all my friends.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I found this book illustrated the comical side of life as an asian girl in todays society. It was a good enjoyable read, i thoroughly enjoyed it, being an asian girly myself i really felt i could relate to the novel at times (though i must stress not at ALL times!).
The friendship bond between the three characters i felt was portrayed well. Though i felt there was lack of emotion and loyalty between the three at times. When things where going wrong for one or the other they tended to opt for the easy route and avoided each other rather then helping each other through, as i am sure most friends would. Arguably this is what happens in the end, without giving too much of the plot away, however it was too little too late in my book!
Still worth the read, i would recommend it to all the asian girls out there, and hey if your not asian, still read it, it's a laugh!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I loved 'Anita And Me' and I was hoping this would be just as good, but it was VERY disappointing. The main problem was the 3 lead female characters. I kept having to work out which was which - very frustrating - and I really didn't care about any of them. It was a dull, slow read without any of the humour or pathos of 'Anita And Me' - it could almost have been written by a different author. I never give up on books but I got about 2/3 of the way through this and decided 'life's too short', so I gave up on it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book is absolutely fantastic, I really cared for the 3 main characters, it made me laugh out loud on the tube, and I was very very disappointed to reach the end. The characters were superbly portrayed, not at all two dimensional, I would recommend it to anyone. More books like this please!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is one of the best books I've read on my English literature course to date. It's approach to feminism is both interessting and powerfull. Meera Syall isn't afraid to admit the true problems women face (family life, work etc..) which most women writers nowadays choose to ignore fearing that the problems seem too trivial. Meera Syall shows that what people pass off as trivial matters aren't so trivial in a breath-taking manner. For example Sunita's problems with her marriage lead to her self harming. This book is filled with emotion, a truly fabulous read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I picked this book off the shelf in a book store as the title is something my mother says all the time!! I fell in love with the book, and as an Asian Brit I empathised with the characters completely. I think that the book is a very worth while read for young women trying to balance relationships and priorities in the East-West tug of war.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
MEERA
Got this as a gift for a friend who taught Meera and wanted a copy to keep excellent value for money yet again.
Published 10 months ago by MIA
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
This is a brilliant book that I would thoroughly recommend to men and women alike. It's funny, insightful about Punjabi traditions, and reveals what life can be like for many women... Read more
Published on 17 May 2011 by parnai
3.0 out of 5 stars
A mixed bag
Meera Syal's novel treads the familiar territory of longstanding female friendship, tested by circumstance. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2010 by CJ
5.0 out of 5 stars
Meera Syal
Having seen the television show 'Life isn't all ha ha hee hee' which I loved, I wanted to read the book. Meera Syal is a brilliant writer, telling her story with amazing honesty. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2010 by Geraldine Le Roes
1.0 out of 5 stars
Too slow for me
I love Meera Syal and was really hoping for good things from this book.
It started slow and then we got some story. Read more
It started slow and then we got some story. Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2010 by Rory
4.0 out of 5 stars
Funny and touching
I picked this book up because it was cheap in a charity shop, it is set near where I grew up and because it looked funny. Read more
Published on 7 Nov 2009 by Sulkyblue
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do not be put off by the front cover and read with open mind
I've had this book for years now and reluctant to read it because of the gaudy cover. Am I glad I ran out of books to read at home and reached out for this one! Wonderful. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2008 by Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting thoughts in beautiful language
A south-asian/african/european friend recommended this book to me, a european living in africa soon to be married to a south asian. I also loved the book. Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2006 by Frauke de Kort
1.0 out of 5 stars
The worst title of all time?
I was recently stuck on a long-haul flight with only this to read. Don't ask me how. The point is: good grief. How to describe it? I don't want to. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2005 by Mr. W. R. Francis
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK I suppose
'In her hilarious and poignant novel' the cover blurb begins well, poignant I can see, hilarious is pushing things a long way. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2005 by Paul Johnson
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